Preparation via solid-state reaction at room temperature and characterization of layered nanocrystalline KMnPO4•H2O

The layered nanocrystalline KMnPO4 center dot H2O was obtained by grinding MnSO4 center dot H2O and K3PO4 center dot 3H(2)O in the presence of surfactant polyethylene glycol (PEG)-400 via solid-state reaction at room temperature, maintaining mixture at room temperature for 3 h, washing mixture with water to remove soluble inorganic salts, and drying at 80 degrees C. The KMnPO4 center dot H2O and its product of thermal decomposition were characterized using TG/DTA, IR, XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), and magnetic susceptibility. The data showed that when dried at 80 degrees C for 3 h, highly crystallized orthorhombic KMnPO4 center dot H2O (space group Pmn2(1)(31)) was obtained with an average particle size of 50 nm and an average interlayer distance of 0.8370 nm. The triclinic KMnPO4 with space group P (1) over bar (2) was obtained when the product was calcined at 300 degrees C for 3 h. Magnetic susceptibility measurements from room temperature to 2.5 K point to ferrimagnetic ordering at Neel temperature of T-N similar to 18.4 K. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved